Movable field sprinkler



w. J. JONES 3,143,298

MOVABLE FIELD SPRINKLER Aug. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12, 1961 INVENTOR. Wiliaam J. Jones w. J. JONES 3,143,298

MOVABLE FIELD SPRINKLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 4 1964 Filed June 12. 1961 I I l I r I v I I II INVENTOR. William J. Jones United States Patent 3,143,298 Mil /ABLE FIELD SPER Wiiliam J. fiones, Palo Alto, Caiifi, assignor to Hillier Engineering Corporation, San Hose, Calif., 21 corporation of California Filed Jane 12, 1961, Ser. No. 116,404 1 (Ilaiin. (Cl. 239-264) The present invention relates to mechanized sprinkler irrigation apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus of the type wherein an elongated Water supply pipe, known as a lateral line, has secured to it for rotation therewith a plurality of axially spaced wheels adapting it to be rolled across a field from one location of use to another, and wherein rotary water distributing sprinkler heads are mounted upon short branch pipes known as risers extending radially from the lateral line.

Rotary sprinkler heads give best performance when their axis of rotation is vertically disposed. However, when a lateral line is rolled across a field to a new location of use, it frequently happens that the riser pipes are no longer aligned in a common vertical plane, but project in difierent directions angularly of the axis of the lateral line due to torsional displacement of portions of the line and also due to unevenness of the ground on which the wheels rest. To eliminate the cumbersome task of manipulating portions of the lateral line of a field sprinkler at a new location of use so as to bring all the riser pipes to a vertical position, it has been proposed to mount each sprinkler head on its riser pipe by means of two swivel joints in such a manner that the sprinkler head is free to rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of the lateral line and thus will always automatically adjust itself to a position wherein the axis of the sprinkler head is vertically disposed irrespective of what radial position relative to the axis of the lateral line the riser may assume. Such an arrangement is disclosed in my United States Patent No. 3,002,697 issued October 3, 1961, in which, to insure that the base of the sprinkler head remains at all times in a position wherein the axis of rotation of the sprinkler head is vertically disposed, a counterweight is shown as suspended from the base of the sprinkler head.

It is an object of the present invention to improve such self-positioning arrangements for mounting sprinkler heads.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a simplified sprinkler head mounting arrangement of the type referred to.

It is a specific object of the present invention to provide a sprinkler head mounting arrangement, of the type referred to, that does not depend on heavy, costly and cumbersome counterweights to insure its automatic adjustment to a position wherein the axis of rotation of the sprinkler head is disposed vertically, and which, at least in part utilizes the force and weight of the Water in the piping adjacent the sprinkler heads as such counterweightmg means.

Still another object or" the invention is to provide a sprinkler head mounting arrangement, of the type referred to, that requires no special structure for supporting a counterweight.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a movable sprinkler line wherein the sprinkler heads are mounted in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in sec- 3,l43,298 Fatented Aug. 4., 1964 ice tion, of the structure for mounting the sprinkler heads; and

FIGURE 3 is a section through a lateral line having sprinkler heads mounted in accordance with the invention, taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows associated with said line.

Having first reference to FIGURE 1, the numeral 19 designates an irrigation pipe line known as the lateral which is composed of a series of pipe sections 12 joined by suitable couplings 14. This lateral pipe line passes through, and is secured to, the hollow hubs 16 of a plurality of axially spaced wheels 18. At points intermediately of the wheels 18 branch or riser pipes 20 extend radially from the pipe sections to supply water under pressure to rotary sprinkler heads 22 connected to the ends of said riser pipes.

Each sprinkler head is connected to its respective riser by means of two swivel joints 24 and 26 in such a manner that the axis of rotation of the rotary sprinkler will always automatically adjust itself to vertical disposition irrespective of what radial position relative to the axis of the lateral line its riser may assume.

Having reference to FIGURE 2, one end 28 of an elbow joint 30 is detachably secured to the upper end of each riser 20 by means such as screw threads, with the opposite end 32 of the elbow joint disposed in such a position that its center axis x-x is parallel to the center axis yy of the lateral 10 (FIGURES 1 and 2). Supported from said opposite end for rotation about the axis xx is another elbow joint 34. For this purpose a short tubular stem 36 is secured to the end 32 of the first elbow joint 30 and extends into the adjacent end 38 of the second elbow joint 34 wherein it is provided with an external flange 40. Arranged around the stem 36 for rotation thereabout is a tubular swivel member 42 provided with external threads 44 at its end adjacent the end 38 of elbow joint 34, by means of which it is firmly secured to said end 38 which is provided with internal threads for this purpose. Thus, the second elbow joint 34 and the tubular member 42 may swivel as a unit about the swivel stem 36. A spring 46 may be interposed between the end 32 of the first elbow joint 30 and the adjacent edge of the tubular swivel member 42 to urge the opposite end edge of said swivel member into engagement with a hydraulic seal and friction washer 48 that is arranged about the swivel stem 36 adjacent the outwardly facing annular surface of its flange 40.

In accordance with the invention the opposite end of the rotatably mounted elbow joint 34 carries rigidly secured thereto a pipe structure 50 of U-shaped conformation, which forms the conduit that supplies water to the sprinkler head, constitutes the base for the sprinkler head, and acts as a counterweight which insures that the total pipe structure 50 including the elbow joint 34 and the annular swivel member 42 will always assume a rotary position upon the tubular stem 36, wherein the opposite end of said pipe structure points in an upward direction. Thus, the axis z-z of the rotary part of the sprinkler head 26 is always disposed vertically, and the sprinkler head may therefore perform at its best. In fact, by making the terminal leg of the U-shaped structure so short relative to the other vertical leg thereof so that a substantial portion of the sprinkler head supported thereon is located below the horizontal axis of rotation xx of elbow joint 34, the sprinkler head acts as its own counterweight in maintaining the U-shaped pipe structure in a position wherein the axis of its terminal leg is vertically disposed. Furthermore, the weight of water contained in the U-shaped structure 5!) adds to the counterweighting effect.

Having reference again to FIGIRE 2, secured to the v) end 52 of the elbow joint 34 by means of screw threads is one end of an L-shaped-pipe 54 Whose opposite end carries secured thereto by means of screw threads yet another elbow joint 56. The opposite end 58 of said elbow joint extends upwardly with its axis z-z parallel to the vertical leg 60 of the L-shaped pipe 54, and rigidly secured to said opposite end by means such as screw threads is a tubular bearing member 62 within which is rotatably received a tubular stem 64. Said stem 64 extends into the upwardly directed end 58 of the elbow joint 56 wherein it is provided with an external flange 66, and secured to its upper end above the tubular bearing member 62 by means such as screw threads, is the rotary sprinkler head 22 which is of well known construoture and is indicated in phantom lines in FIGURES 2 and 3. A coil spring 68 interposed between the upper edge of the tubular member 62 and the sprinkler head 22 urges the swivel stem 64 into an elevated position wherein the flange 66 at its bottom end bears against a hydraulic seal and friction washer 7i) and urges it against the bottom edge of the bearing member 62. The terminal leg of the U-shaped pipe structure, which is formed by the upwardly directed end of elbow joint 56, the member 62 and the tubular swivel stem 64, is proportioned relative to the opposite leg of said pipe structure that a substantial portion of the sprinkler head 22 is located below the axis of rotation x-x of swivel joint 36/42.

In operation, when liquid is delivered under pressure to the rotary sprinkler head 22 from the lateral 10 through the riser 20, the tubular stem 36, the elbow joint 34 and the described U-shaped pipe structure not only the weight of said pipe structure, but also the velocity and the weight of the liquid passing through said structure, and the weight of the sprinkler head itself, all operate to pull said structure about the swivel joint 36/42 into its lower most position wherein the end 58 of the elbow joint 56 and the tubular bearing member 62 are vertically upwardly disposed so that the axis of tubular stem 64 and hence the axis of rota-tion zz of the rotary sprinkler head 22 are always so disposed no matter what the position of its supporting riser 20 angularly of the lateral may be.

To increase the efiectiveness of the described arrangement in setting the axis of the rotary sprinkler head at all times into a vertical disposition, Without impairing the inherent simplicity and the low cost of the described structure, a sleeve 72 of heavy material, such as lead (FIGURES 2 and 3), may be slipped over the horizontal leg 74 of pipe 54 during assembly of the mounting structure before the elbow joint 56 is secured to said pipe.

The described mounting structure for sprinkler heads makes sure that the sprinkler head is at all times in its best operating position no matter what the angular position of the risers may be, and it is of simple and inex pensive construction. It does not depend on a special counterweight or, if such a counterweight is provided, it requires no special structure for supporting it in its most elfective position.

While I have explained my invention with the aid of a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction details shown and described by Way of example, which may be departed from without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

I claim:

A sprinkler head support adapted for attachment to a riser of a lateral sprinkler line comprising an elbow joint adapted for connection to said riser; a horizontally disposed swivel joint connected to said elbow joint; a pipe structure of U-shaped conformation having a horizontally disposed center leg and opposite vertical legs, one of said vertical legs being separable from said horizontal leg; a cylindrical weighting sleeve surrounding said center leg and adapted to be positioned thereon upon separation of said separable vertical leg from said center leg and held in position by the vertical legs of the assembled U-shaped structure; means for connecting one of said vertical legs to said swivel joint; and means for supporting a sprinkler head on the other of said vertical legs.

Jones Oct. 3, 1961 Jensen July 24, 1962 

